Aeroplane-drive



H. F. McNUTT.

AEROPLANE DRIVE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.20.1918.

Patented July 13,1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEEI I.

awvewtoz xiv/M42:-

PATENT OFFICE.

HIBAM F. MGNUTT, 0F RICHMOND, INDIANA.

AEROPLANE-DRIVE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 13, 1920.

Application filed December 20, 1918. Serial No. 267,581.

To all whom 212$ may concern:

Be itknown that I, IIIRAM F. MoNo'rr, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Richmond, in the county of WVayne, State of Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Aeroplane-Drives, of which the following is a full, clear, and comprehensive specification and exposition, the same being such as will enable others to make and use the same with exactitude.

My invention relates to aeronautics, and particularly to the improvements in the means for driving aeroplanes or the like, which means may be employed as the main drive, the auxiliary drive, the sole drive, or the associate drive, as desired.

The object of this invention, broadly stated, is to provide a driving mechanism or propellers which will be strong and durablle in construction, positive in action, easilyoperated and controlled, comparatively light in weight, and adapted to develop a maximum of propelling power with a minimum of power transmitted from the power plant motor which may be connected herewith.

Other objects and particular advantages will suggest themselves in the course of the following description. and that which is new and useful will be correlated in the appended claims.

The preferred means for carrying out the principles of my invention in a practical manner is shown in the accompanying two sheets of drawings, in which-Figure 1 is a side elevation of my invention as applied to the body or fuselage of an aeroplane. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the construction shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the main portions of my invention alone. Fig. 4; is a perspective view of one of the carriages and blades alone after being removed from the body of the construction. Fig. 5 is an enlarged face elevation of one of the guide-blocks. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the blades alone. Fig. 7 is a plan view of the crankshaft of my propeller. And Fig. 8 is a detail elevation of the gear shifting means.

Similar indices denote like parts throughout the several views.

In order that the construction, the operation, and the advantages of my invention may be better understood and appreciated I will now take up a detailed description thereof, in which I will set forth the various features as fully as I may.

In the drawings letter A designates the shell or the body of the fuselage. B denotes the tail. C denotes the motor, which is located in the forward endportion of the fuselage. D denotes the main shaft which is driven by the motor. E denotes the ordinary propeller which is revolved by and concentric with said shaft. F denotes the planes, including the frame-work connecting them, which extend out from and across the fuselage in the usual manner. Extending down from the forward portion of the fuselage are the two spaced-apart hangers G and H, which carry the axle I, and on the end portions of the axle are mounted the ground wheels J and K.

All of said parts are of ordinary construction, and my invention is not to be limited thereto, as they are merely shown as examples.

The invention proper comprises the following: Numerals 1, 2, 3 and 4 denote the members of a frame which is suspended be low the fuselage and the planes by means of the hanger-arms 5, 6, 7 and 8. Numerale 9 and 10 denote the intermediate bars which connect the members 1 and 4, and extend parallel with the members 2 and 3 and spaced therefrom, substantially as shown.

In this instance there are three sets of my propellers: one set located between the bars 9 and 10; one set between the bars 2 and 9: and one set between the bars 3 and 10. The only difference in the three sets of propellers being that the center set, between the bars 9 and 10, is at least double the width of the others.

Also each set of propellers is of double construction: aforward and a rear propeller construction, these are the same in every essential particular, except that the forward propeller of each set is driven direct by the propeller crank-shaft, while the rear ones are driven by means which connect the forward and the rear propellers, as will hereinafter be explained.

One of my propeller mechanisms is shown clearly in Fig. 4; and one of the pro- Deller guide-blocks is shown enlarged in Fig. 5. And as the parts of each are duplicafe of the others, therefore I will, for convenience of description. describe but one in detail. and will designate the like parts in the others by the same indices.

tears I) and 7) inwvhich the rearend of'the Each of the'propellers comprises the re ciproca-tive cross-head, or head-block, '11

having notches a and a. .in its ends in which the bars 2 and 9, for instance, are slidably fitted. Extending from the center 'ofthe forward face of the cross-head 11 are the 'pitman 12 is hinged. Extending upward and rearward from members (Land d. Numeral 13denotes the blade-head, which is operative between the bars 2 and 9 but not in contact therewith. v llxtending upwardnnd forward from the axial direction therefrom, are the trunnions or rollers 19 and 20.,

Each of the guide-blocks, shown in 5, includes anupper and a lower inturned horizontal Flange 21 and 22, respectively, and angular-1y disposed end flanges 23 and 24;, which merge into the respective short horizontal flanges 25 and 26,. and these in turn merge into the flanges 22 and 21, thereby forming an irregular flange entirely around theedges of the gulde-block.

Said flanges extend from and are integral with the backing or base 27 of the guide block. Numeral 28 denotes the frame or rocker, having its central portion pivotedly mounted to the base 27 by means of the pivot 29. Said frame or rocker corresponds in general contour with the figure described by. the. flanges 21, less dimenslons, whereby a channel is formed 22, 23 and 24:, but it isof therearound, with a pocket channel 30 formed at one end between the flanges 21 and 26, and a similar pocket channel 31 at the other end, formed between the flanges 23 and 25. A spring 32 is attached at one ,end totl1e base 27, slightly forward of the pivot 29, with its other endattached to the frame 28,;whereby the forward endof the frame is normally down, and the rear end e normallyup as shown in Fig. 5.

. Two of the gulr'leblocks shown in Fig. 5 are provided for each ofthe carriage mechanisms shown in Fig. 1,.they being arranged facingeach other, one belng carried by the member 2 and the other by the member 9. Th'evroller 19 is adapted to operatein the channel of one guide-block, and the roller 20being adapted to travel in the channel'of the other guide-block, eachof said rollers being adaptedto travel aroundin its channel the head 11 are the hinge Ipitman.

to vertical position ready for of therespective guide-block. It will now be seen that if the carriage mechanism shown in Fig t, for instance be moved forward to its limit then the rollers 19 and- 20 will be located in their respective pocket channels 31, at which time the blade 15 will be in vertical position. Then as the carriage is rmovedlrearward the rollers will travel back through the channel above the flange 22, thenupward in contact withthe flange 241, thereby swinging up the rear end of the frame 28, and permitting them'to enterthe pockets 30, which manifestly will turn the blades'toalmost, horizontal position at the rear limit of the stroke of the Then as the pitman draws the carriage forward it is evident that the rollers 19 and 20 will be caused to travel in the channel between the upper edge of .the.

frame 28 and theflange 21, which willjcarry the blade forward in practically: horizontal position until the rollers force the forward finally being located at the forward limit of the stroke, again locating the rollers in the pockets 31, which-will bring the blade again a'new stroke to the rear, and the operation will then be repeated as before. Located in the rear of the forward carriage above described is a rear carriage which 18 the same inevery particular, except that the ears I) and Z) are dispensed with. The rear carriage'is c0nnected with its companion forward carriage by means of two rods, 33 and 34, which are ends of the frames, thereby permitting the rollers to pass down on the flange 23, and

secured to the heads 11 of the two carriages,

whereby they will slide forwardand backwardin unison. p

' Numeral 35 denotes the crankshaft of the propeller, it having three U-shaped cranks,;onev for each of the three pitmen 12, whoseforward ends are revolubly connected thereto.

The said shaft 35is mounted insuitable bearingscarried by thelower portion ofthe frame of the fuselage, or other suitable part of the device. Secured-on thefshaft35 is the gear wheel 36, which is adapted to niesh with the .floatable pinion 37 whichmay be geared to slide forward and backward. The pinion 37 is adapted to mesh with the gear 38. The gear 38 a is formed integral with larger spiral gear 'wheel 39, which latter meshes at rightangles with the spiral pinion 40, the latter being secured on the main shaft D.

The means for placing thecrank-sha'ft 35 in and'out of gear with the mainf shaft D, consists in having the pinion 37 formed floating that is adapted to move forward and backward into and out of mesh with the gears 36 and 38 in any well known manner.

n is evident, Wa shape a the eweshaft 35, that when the two outside pairs of blades are moving rearward that the center pair of blades will be moving forward, and vice-versa. And also that as the blades move rearward they will have a maximum of air resistance, thereby forcing the machine forward, and that when they are moving forward they will have a minimum of air resistance.

In Fig. l is shown a clutch by which the propeller E may be engaged with or detached from the shaft D. The hub 41 of the propeller is revolubly mounted on the shaft D, and it has notches 42 in its rear end which when the hub 41 is slid rearward will engage the pin 43 which extends through the shaft D, whereby the propeller E will be revolved with the shaft D. A channel i l extends around in the periphery of the hub 4:1 in which is located the hook end of the arm 45 which extends back into the fuselage, to be in reach of the operator.

The shafts of the gears 36 and 88 are mounted in a frame 48, shown in Fig. 8, which is carried by the lower portion of the fuselage. Extending 'forward from the frame 46 are the horizontal arms at? in which are slidably mounted the bearings 48 which carry the shaft of the pinion 37. A lever 4-9 extends back from the bearings l8 to be in reach of the operator, whereby the pinion 37 may be slid forward and backward out of and into gear with the gears 86 and 38.

In practice my propeller may be operated with and in addition to the regular rotary propeller E, or the propeller E may be cut out and my propeller alone may be employed, or my propeller may be cut out and the propeller E alone may be employed, all at the will of the operator located in the fuselage.

It is also evident that the principles of my invention may be employed with a hydroplane, or with boats, or other crafts, as well as with various types of air crafts.

I desire that it be understood that various changes may be made in the various details of construction, from that herein shown and described, without departing from the spirit of my invention and without sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

Having now fully shown and described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is,

1. In combination with a fuselage having a motor carried thereby and a revolving propeller operated by the motor, sets of propellers slidably mounted under said body, each set moving in a direction opposite to the set next thereto, all of said sliding propellers being adapted to push the body forward when they are moving in one direction and to operate idle when moving in the opposite direction, all of said sliding propellers being adapted to be placed in and out of gear with said motor, and means for plac ing the revolving propeller into and out of gear with the motor, all substantially as shown and described.

2. In combination with a fuselage having a motor carried thereby and a rotary propeller adapted to be operated by the motor, a series of reciprocating propellers located under said body and adapted to alternate backward and forward with relation to each other, means for causing the blade of the reciprocating propellers to have a maximum of air resistance when moving in one direction and a minimum air resistance when moving in the opposite direction, and means for operating said blades by the power of the motor.

3. An aeroplane drive having, in combination with a fuselage, series of propellers suspended below the fuselage, carriages arranged parallel and side by side with relation to each other, blades for each carriage arranged tandem, means for driving the carriages alternative forward and backward, guides for controlling the positions of the blades whereby they will stand horizontal when moving forward and vertical when moving rearward, an eccentric crank-shaft for driving the carriages, a motor for driving the crank-shaft, and means for disengaging the crank shaft from the motor.

a. In combination with a fuselage having a motor and a rotary propeller carried thereby, a trio of reciprocating carriages suspended abreast of each other under thefuselage and adapted to! be operated by the motor, each carriage including a rear and a forward blade, and a center carriage having its blades of double the length of the blades of the outer carriage, means for gearing the outer carriages to operate in the same direction at the same time and alternating with the movements of the center carriage, a pivot at the upper corners of each blade, a roller on each pivot, a pair of guide-blocks for each blade, the same having channels therein for their respective rollers, a switch for each guide block, means for reciprocating said. carriages whereby the pivots of the blades travel in their channels planetarily to cause the blades to mom rearward against the air and forward in edgewise position to cut the air, all substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HIRAM F. McNUTT.

WVitnesses:

Rona. W. RANDLE, R. E. RANDLE. 

